For A Moment
by Taisi
Summary: He hated being stuck going nowhere, even if it was just for a moment, because Naruto could do nothing but move forward. What made it special was that the world moved with him. -Happy birthday, Naruto!-


A/N: _NOT LATE! _Okay, well, it is technically. By like an hour. Ehh... Happy birthday, Naruto! (No pairings here, btw.)

_For A Moment_

Naruto had been sick - and no one knew it until the day he passed out in the street.

He'd been walking to Ichiraku's with a couple friends, laughing racuously with Kiba at a bad joke, an arm slung around Lee's shoulders. They were turning the corner, and Chouji remarked at how strange it was for so many villagers to still be out so late, when there was a scuff and a thud, and they registered Naruto's sudden absence even as they turned to investigate the sound.

"Naruto?"

* * *

There had been, of course, some commotion as his friends grouped around him; as usual, Shikamaru was the quickest to act, on his knees with an arm around Naruto's shoulders to brace him upright so he could feel the blond's forehead.

"He's burning up," came the unnecessary diagnosis. With his flushed face and labored breathing, it was the only conclusion any of them could come to.

It was October, and sickness was going around. It was especially important for shinobi, who were so much more exposed to the elements than civilians, to take good care of themselves. It fell on their shoulders to report even the slightest sniffle, to catch the flu before it caught them.

A few villagers approached their group, and a swift and subtle ripple passed through it as Naruto's comrades shifted imperceptibly to guard him. They weren't as ignorant in this regard as their teachers seemed to think; it was ridiculously obvious how much Konoha seemed to hate their dobe, and they weren't taking any chances.

If it came down to it, they'd kill for that stupid blue-eyed deadlast, ninja rules be damned.

But when the first villager spoke, it was out of concern.

"Is he okay?" the woman asked, worry in her voice and face.

And they relaxed, barely. "He will be," Kiba told her firmly.

How strange was the faith they had in him to always be okay?

* * *

He woke up about a day later in the hospital, blinking heavily. His bangs were damp and stuck to his face, and he struggled to breathe slowly and deeply instead of in short, irritating gasps. And he was like that for a few minutes, before finally realizing he wasn't alone. Head falling to the side, blue eyes overbright and searching, he was met with the hazy outlines of a few familiar figures.

Sakura reached over and put a gentle hand on his forehead, telling him softly to go back to sleep. Her hand must have felt so cool to him, because his eyes fluttered shut with the tiniest whimper and her heart constricted. Laying her other hand on the side of his face, brushing blond hair out of the way, she marveled at how much she loved him.

And she wondered how many other, countless people marveled at the same thing, for the same remarkable boy.

Scolding would come later, she told herself. Because how could anyone have the heart to chide him now, when he was so tired and sick he couldn't even manage a smile for a friend?

* * *

They were waiting outside for some word on the self-proclaimed future Hokage, standing around in the cold and kicking at gravel. The hospital was too busy for them to stay inside, as was the case when winter rolled around. But still they waited, and they were there when Iruka stepped out to them with the news that while his fever hadn't gone down, Naruto had woken up and was coherent. They could see him if they wanted.

They did.

* * *

Naruto got an earful from Kiba for being stupid and getting himself sick and not even _telling _anybody, and for his trouble the dog master Genin got punched in the head by Sakura, who informed him that raising his voice in a hospital room _(at the patient) _was inconsiderate. Sakura in turn recieved a scolding from Iruka, at which Kakashi chuckled. And when Iruka turned on the Jounin, as Lee patted a grumbling Kiba and Chouji laughed, Shikamaru rolled his eyes in Naruto's direction as if to say _They're your problem you know. _

Naruto was sitting up, looking only half-awake and bewildered, swaying in a way that made Shikamaru want to push him back down against the pillows. But those eyes of his were still vibrant in a way no one else's could be, and a familiar smile tugged at his lips, however strained it looked on his tired face.

Seeing it, Shikamaru felt a flutter of something like relief in his chest.

_You know._

_

* * *

_

They all knew Naruto hated the hospital, despite his frequent stays there, because Naruto hated feeling powerless. He hated being stuck going nowhere, even if it was just for a moment, because Naruto could do nothing but move forward.

What made it special was that the world moved with him.

* * *

It was Naruto's third day in the hospital and he'd improved only barely. His throat hurt too much for him to speak and the constant fits of dry coughing did nothing to alleviate it.

The nurse discouraged visits, saying he needed his rest, but Naruto always looked so lonely by himself in that white room, small and prone, only sometimes awake and staring vaguely out the window.

It was common knowledge that Naruto was an orphan; that he strived for attention, acceptance, approval. That a touch on the arm or a hand on his hair meant much more to him than it might to someone else.

So as irrational as it was, maybe it wasn't as stupid as it seemed for his friends to fear leaving him alone. Neglect would hurt him more than anything else in the world, and they were set against it.

And so the next time they came to visit, sliding open the door and watching Naruto's eyes drag open and move to meet them, that smile stutter across his face as he struggled for a moment to sit upright.

"Go back to sleep," Neji said quietly, and, as always was the case with Naruto, Lee and Hinata, something in his voice was gentle. "We'll be here when you wake up."

And, as sometimes was the case with Neji, Naruto listened.

* * *

He liked waking up to company; that much they were sure of, if the softness of his eyes when he saw them was anything to go by.

They asked how he was feeling and he said, "Better." Then, in a voice a little softer, asked if they knew when he'd be released.

They told him Sakura was working on it. She had the best chance of wringing a 'yes' out of the Hokage out of all of them.

At this news, something behind the blue of Naruto's eyes lightened, and he laughed, saying, "Well, if you guys are on the case, I'm out of here for sure."

His faith in his friends was endearing, as well as frightening; it left them with a lot to live up to.

* * *

Finally, Tsunade granted him a release, and he was free to leave. They walked with him through the halls, and watched him bound happily into the street and throw his arms wide, feeling the cool, crisp morning air on his face.

A content grin curled across his face, Naruto shoved his hands into the pockets of his faded orange jacket and murmured something about how nice it felt to be outside.

"Hey, Naruto," Shikamaru called to him, sounding bored. "It's the tenth, right? Happy birthday." When the blond laughed, Shikamaru's face eased into a smile. "Let's go to Ichiraku's. I'm hungry."

Naruto's reply was enthusiastic, and they made their way down the road with him, each of them smiling inwardly in anticipation.

They couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw the cake and heard the word _Surprise!_

'Cause after all he'd put them through the past few days, there's no way they'd let him off the hook with nothing but a 'happy birthday'.

End.

* * *

A/N: PHEWWW. That came out a _lot _longer than I expected. Which is why it's an hour and a _half _late. Dammit.

OHYEAH, guess what? In Illinois, there's gonna be a meeting point for Hetalia fans to gather for Hetalia day. Funness, yes? It's gonna be in Des Plaines.

Food plus cosplay plus free equals yay. :3 PM for details if you're interested.

_And HTTYD is out on DVD this weekeeeeeenddd...! _


End file.
